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Gateway GT5436E 8511861 - Gateway Computer Hardware Reference for Windows Vist - Page 103

Recovering your system

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www.gateway.com Help For more information about sound troubleshooting, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type sound troubleshooter in the Search Help box, then press ENTER. Recovering your system Most computer problems can be solved by following the information in "Troubleshooting" on page 143 or in the technical support pages at www.gateway.com. Problem-solving may also involve re-installing some or all of the computer's software (also called recovering or restoring your system). Gateway provides everything you need to recover your system under most conditions. Caution To prepare your computer for additional system recovery options, you should create a set of software and driver recovery discs as soon as possible. For instructions, see "Preparing for software and device driver recovery" on page 98. • To recover software and device drivers that were pre-installed at the factory, see "Recovering pre-installed software and drivers" on page 98. • To return your system to a previous condition when it was working correctly, see "Using Microsoft System Restore" on page 104. • To completely recover your system to its factory condition, see "Recovering your system to its factory condition" on page 107. If you upgrade or exchange your hard drive, or if your hard drive is completely erased or corrupted, your only option for system recovery may be to reinstall Windows from the Windows DVD, then recover your pre-installed software and device drivers using recovery discs that you created. (Your computer must have a recordable disc drive to use these options.) • To re-install Windows using the Windows DVD, see "Recovering your system using the Windows DVD" on page 108. • To re-install your pre-installed software and device drivers using recovery discs, see "Recovering pre-installed software and drivers using recovery discs" on page 102. 97

Section	Page
Contents	3
About This Reference	7
About this guide	8
For more information	8
Accessing the online User Guide	8
To access the User Guide:	8
Gateway contact information	9
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity	9
Checking Out Your Computer	11
Front	12
Back	14
Setting Up and Getting Started	17
Working safely and comfortably	18
Reducing eye strain	19
Setting up your computer desk and chair	19
Sitting at your computer	20
Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain	20
Preparing power connections	20
Protecting from power source problems	20
Checking the voltage selection	21
To set the voltage selection switch:	21
Connecting to a broadband modem or network	21
To connect to a broadband modem or to an Ethernet network:	21
Connecting a dial-up modem	22
To connect the modem:	22
Starting your computer	22
To start your computer:	22
Waking up your computer	23
Turning off your computer	23
To put your computer to sleep:	24
To turn off your computer:	24
Restarting (rebooting) your computer	24
To restart your computer:	24
Using the keyboard	25
Premium multimedia keyboard features	25
Elite multimedia keyboard features	26
Using the mouse	28
Adjusting the volume	30
To adjust the overall volume using hardware controls:	30
To adjust the volume from Windows:	30
Configuring the audio jacks	32
To configure the audio jacks:	32
Installing a printer, scanner, or other device	32
Upgrading Your Computer	35
Preventing static electricity discharge	36
Opening the case	37
Removing the side panel	37
To remove the side panel:	37
Removing the front bezel	38
To remove the front bezel:	38
Closing the case	38
Replacing the front bezel	38
To replace the front bezel:	38
Replacing the side panel	39
To replace the side panel:	39
Installing memory	40
To install or replace DIMM memory:	40
Replacing the system battery	41
To replace the battery:	41
Adding or replacing a CD or DVD drive	43
To add replace a CD or DVD drive:	43
Replacing the memory card reader	45
To replace the memory card reader:	45
Adding or replacing a hard drive	46
To add or replace a hard drive:	46
Replacing the front fan	51
To replace the front fan:	51
Replacing the rear fan	52
To replace the rear fan:	52
Replacing the power supply	53
To replace the power supply:	53
Replacing the heat sink and processor	54
To replace the heat sink and processor:	54
Replacing the I/O board	57
To replace the front I/O panel:	57
Adding or replacing an expansion card	58
To add or replace an expansion card:	58
Replacing the system board	60
To replace the system board:	60
Maintaining Your Computer	65
Setting up a maintenance schedule	66
Caring for your computer	66
Cleaning your computer	67
Cleaning the exterior	68
Cleaning the keyboard	68
To clean the keyboard:	68
Cleaning the monitor	69
To clean the monitor:	69
Cleaning the mouse	69
To clean the mouse:	69
Cleaning optical discs	69
To clean an optical disc:	69
Updating Windows	70
Using BigFix	70
To start BigFix:	70
Managing hard drive space	70
Checking hard drive space	71
To check hard drive space:	71
Deleting unnecessary files	72
To delete unnecessary files:	72
Checking the hard drive for errors	72
To check the hard drive for errors:	73
Defragmenting the hard drive	74
To defragment the hard drive:	74
Backing up files	75
To back up files:	75
Scheduling maintenance tasks	76
To start the Task Scheduler:	76
Moving from your old computer	77
Moving with Windows Easy Transfer	77
To move files and settings from your old computer:	77
Moving files and settings manually	78
Finding your documents	78
To find files in the documents folder:	78
Finding other files	78
To find files using Find or Search:	79
Troubleshooting	81
Safety guidelines	82
First steps	82
Troubleshooting	83
Add-in cards	83
The computer does not recognize an add-in card	83
Audio	83
CD or DVD drives	83
The computer does not recognize a disc or the CD or DVD drive	83
An audio CD does not produce sound	84
A DVD movie will not play	84
Diskette drive	85
The diskette drive is not recognized	85
You cannot save a file to diskette or you see the message “disk is full or write-protected”	85
You see an “Access Denied” or “Write protect” error message	85
You see a “Disk is full” error message	86
You see a “Non-system disk” or “Disk error” error message	86
The diskette drive LED is lit continuously	86
DVD drives	86
Ethernet	86
You cannot see the other computers on your network	86
The computer does not recognize an add-in Ethernet card	87
Your Ethernet network is running slower than you expect	87
File management	87
A file was accidentally deleted	87
To restore deleted files:	87
Hard drive	88
You see an “Insufficient disk space” error message	88
You see a “Data error” message	88
The hard drive cannot be accessed, or you see a “General failure reading drive C” error message	88
Internet	89
You cannot connect to the Internet	89
You see an “Unable to locate host” message and are unable to browse the Internet	89
Connecting to a Web site takes too long	90
People are sending you e-mail messages, but you have not received any mail	90
Keyboard	90
The keyboard does not work	90
A keyboard character keeps repeating or you see a “keyboard stuck” or “key failure” error message	90
Liquid spilled in the keyboard	91
Media Center	91
The Media Center video display looks bad on your TV	91
You need to configure your Media Center computer to output to aTV	93
You want to change display settings to get better TV or DVD image quality	93
You want to know whether you can burn programs that were recorded with your Media Center computer...	93
You want to know whether you can play recorded programs on other computers	94
You want to know whether you can play recorded programs on your home DVD player	94
You get a “Download Error” message when the Media Center tries to update the Program Guide:	94
Memory	94
You see a “Memory error” message	94
You see a “Not enough memory” error message	94
Memory card reader	94
Drive letters for the memory card slots do not appear in the My Computer window	94
Modem (cable or DSL)	95
Modem (dial-up)	95
Your modem does not dial or does not connect	95
To check the dialing properties:	95
You cannot connect to the Internet	96
Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K	96
Your fax communications program only sends and receives faxes at 14,400bps when you have a 56K m...	97
The modem is not recognized by your computer	97
To run modem diagnostics:	97
The modem is noisy when it dials and connects	98
To turn down the modem volume:	98
Monitor	98
The screen resolution is not correct	98
The computer is running but there is no picture	98
The color is not uniform	99
Why is there a horizontal line or wire visible across the monitor screen?	99
The text on the display is dim or difficult to read	99
Mouse	100
The mouse does not work	100
The mouse works erratically	100
Networks	100
You cannot connect to your company network	100
Passwords	100
Your computer does not accept your password	100
Power	101
Your computer will not turn on	101
Printer	101
The printer will not turn on	101
The printer is on but will not print	101
To set a default printer:	101
You see a “Printer queue is full” error message	102
To make sure that the printer is not set to work offline:	102
You see a “Printer is out of paper” error message	102
Sound	102
You are not getting sound from the speakers	102
Recovering your system	103
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers	104
Preparing for software and device driver recovery	104
To create discs for recovering pre-installed software anddrivers:	105
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers using Gateway Recovery Center	107
To recover specific drivers and software:	107
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers using recoverydiscs	108
To recover software and drivers using recovery discs:	108
Using Microsoft System Restore	110
To restore using Microsoft System Restore:	110
Manually creating a restore point	111
To manually create a restore point:	111
Recovering your system to its factory condition	113
To delete everything on your hard drive and re-install all factory software:	113
Recovering your system using the WindowsDVD	114
To completely re-install Windows:	114
Telephone support	114
Before calling Gateway Customer Care	114
Telephone numbers	115
Automated troubleshooting system	115
Telephone numbers	116
Self-help	116
Tutoring	117
Training	117
Legal Notices	119
If your computer has a DVD-compatible drive and an analog TV Out port, the following paragraph ap...	127
A	129
B	129
C	129
D	130
E	130
F	131
G	131
H	131
I	131
J	131
K	131
L	132
M	132
N	133
O	133
P	133
R	133
S	133
T	134
U	135
V	135
W	135
Z	135